Mt Mamas Donate $3700 to Starting Point

• DateApril 9, 2023
• Authorcommunity
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The Mountain Mamas donated $3,700 to Starting Point. Front row: Former racers, Raetha Stoddard, Starting Point outreach specialist; Bobbie Box and Kathy Baltz; current racers, Genn Anzaldi, Celine Tinkham. Standing: Sue Stagnone (captain), Jackie Hutchinson, Martha Leich, Karen Beck, Nora Bean, Beth Carta-Dolan, Denise Royer and Jeannie Wholey

The Mt. Mamas is not so much a formal organization as they are a formidable force for good and fun in our community.

The Mamas are well known as Mt. Meisters and can be found together wherever there is a patch of snow, a golf cart, a sandy beach, music, or good food and cheer.

They are also the first to volunteer when Starting Point needs help organizing and running fundraisers. And because of their extensive network, they are a valuable resource for connecting with the community when help is needed.

You can telephone, telegraph, or just tell a Mama if you need action!

This amazing group of friends perhaps best define themselves by the idea that when many carry the weight, no one is left alone to be crushed. The Mt. Mamas gather regularly and communicate on a chat line where they share jokes, schedules, and pictures of their adventures, accomplishments, and challenges. Most importantly, they lift each other up when they share their woes with one another.

In 2014, Jody Buzzell, a shining example of all the Mt. Mamas embody, was tragically killed in a domestic violence incident. Because the Mamas hold each other tight, Jody continues to ride the lift and adds her spirit to all they do, including supporting Starting Point.

In March, the Mt. Mamas closed out their scholarship in Jody’s name and donated the remaining funds to Starting Point. Although a part of Jody will always be entangled with domestic violence, her friends have never allowed her death to define her life.  This is one of many valuable messages this group of friends amplifies. Each year, on the anniversary of Jody’s death, they gather and mourn their loss, and on the other 364 days of the year they celebrate her life.

Perhaps the most essential contribution that the Mt. Mamas make to our community is their unbreakable bond and connectivity. Above all other interventions, the most essential deterrent to abuse and the most essential balm for healing is connectivity. This is who the Mt. Mamas are to one another and to our community.

Everyone needs a Mt. Mama in their corner, and fortunately, whether you know them personally or not, they are there for us all.

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